Method and apparatus for removing protective cover from golf course greens

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for removing a protective cover from the green of a golf course and for placing a cover on the green mounts to the front of a maintenance tractor on either the bucket of the tractor or the three point hitch of the tractor. The frame of the apparatus has two hydraulic motors mounted thereto are controlled and powered by the hydraulic system of the tractor. By mounting the roller bar to couplings on the motor with lynch pins a wrapped cover can easily be removed from the apparatus for storage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to Thurman et al., U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/504,771, entitled “Method and Apparatus for RemovingProtective Cover from Golf Greens” filed on Sep. 22, 2003 and isincorporated by reference herein, with priority claimed for all commonlydisclosed subject matter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to removing a protective coverfrom a green of a golf course or replacing the cover on the green. Theapparatus provides removing and replacing functions that require lessmanpower than traditional techniques and in addition reduces the amountof time required to complete either of the functions.

RELATED ART

Greens of a golf course must frequently be covered for protection fromdamaging weather conditions and then uncovered for play when theconditions no longer exist. Traditionally these functions of coveringand uncovering are achieved manually. The uncovering or removing of aprotective cover, such as a tarp, from a green usually requires a crewof around six workers. The workers usually fold and roll the cover andthen move the rolled cover to a place that will not interfere with play.If there is a chance that changing weather or other circumstance coulddamage the greens it usually desirable to replace the covers on eachgreen as quickly as possible. The conventional covering procedure,typically replacing a cover that had previously been removed, comprisesplacing the cover on or near the green and then unrolling, unfolding andpositioning the cover. As might be expected, the covering proceduretypically requires a work crew of around six.

In general each green of a golf course has a different size and shape sothat each green has a corresponding or custom shaped cover. Because ofthe differences in size and shape of the covers there may beconsiderable variations in their weight.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Generally, the present invention provides an apparatus and method forremoving covers from and replacing covers on the greens of a golfcourse. The disclosed apparatus and method provides techniques forremoving and replacing covers that require less time and manpower thantraditional techniques.

In one disclosure for removing a cover, a torque source is provided forrotating a roller bar wherein the cover is wrapped about the roller bar.The torque source preferably is one or more hydraulic motors connectedto the hydraulic system of a maintenance tractor or similar vehicle. Thetractor then transports the wrapped cover to another location forstorage and in addition provides a means for lowering and placing thewrapped cover at the storage location.

In another embodiment the disclosed apparatus for removing a covercomprises a frame adapted to mount on the bucket of a maintenancetractor. The apparatus has one or more motors coupled the frame and themotors have receiver cups for coupling to a roller bar. The roller barfits in receiver cups and is secured in place with lynch pins.

A disclosed method for removing a cover comprises the steps of placingone end of the cover on a roller bar, applying torque to the roller barusing one or more motors, stopping the one or more motors when the coveris wrapped about the roller bar, and then placing the wrapped cover at astorage location.

Various features and advantages of the present disclosure will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art upon examination of the followingdetailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. It is intended that all such features and advantages beincluded herein within the scope of the present invention and protectedby the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scalerelative to each other, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the invention. Furthermore, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews.

FIG. 1 is a front view diagram illustrating an embodiment of coverremoval apparatus.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations of a preferred embodiment of a framefor the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1utilizing the frame of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is the top view of another embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of FIG. 4 having a cover wrapped about a roller bar.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating a coverpartially wrapped about a roller bar.

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C illustrate details of an embodiment of the rollerbar shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 illustrates details of a connector assembly for coupling theroller bar to the motor as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the steps for removing a cover froma green using the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the steps for placing a cover on agreen using the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Because the novel and patentable features of the present invention canbe shown with block and other diagrams, conventional elements such asbolts, pins, connectors, hydraulic couplers and hoses well-known tothose skilled in the are not shown. A person skilled in the art couldreadily understand the diagrams illustrating embodiments of the presentinvention. The diagrams show specific details that are pertinent to thepresent invention and do not obscure the disclosure with details thatwould readily be apparent to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cover removal apparatus 100 that is utilized forremoving a protective cover (not shown) from a green of a golf courseand is also used for placing or replacing a cover on the green. Thecover removal apparatus 100 preferably has a frame 102 having a leftside and a right side. The frame 102 preferably is fabricated of steeland is adapted to couple to a maintenance tractor or similar vehiclethat is used for maintaining a golf course. The drawing of FIG. 1 is aview looking at the front of the cover removal apparatus 100 and theframe 102 is shown as the ends of steel tubes or bars that arepreferably used to create the frame.

Preferably the maintenance tractor has a bucket that may be raised orlowered using the tractor's hydraulic system. The bucket of a tractor isgenerally used to move materials such as gravel, dirt, sand or anymaterials that fit within the bucket. Typically a maintenance tractoralso has a hydraulic system available to furnish power for a variety ofmaintenance attachments. Connections to the hydraulic power system aretypically made with conventional hydraulic couplers and hoses.

As seen in FIG. 1 there are two hydraulic motors 104 attached to theframe 102 of the cover removal apparatus 100. The hydraulic motors 104preferably receive power from the hydraulic power system of the tractor.Preferably the frame 102 is coupled to the tractor in order that thetractor may lower or raise the cover removal apparatus toward or awayfrom the surface of the green. Each of the hydraulic motors 104preferably is mounted to the frame by bolts attached through holes in amounting plate 106. The shaft of each motor preferably fits through ahole in the mounting plate between steel tubes that are part of theframe 102. Connected to the end of the shaft of each motor is aconnector assembly 110. One end of the connector assembly 110 is coupledto the end of the shaft, preferably using a key and bolt connection andthe other end of the connector assembly is fabricated to receive aroller bar 112 as will be described later. The coupling on the rollerbar end of the connector assembly 110 preferably has a cup shape wherethe cup has a bottom and is open on the side furthest away from themotor shaft 108. The structure and function of the cover removalapparatus 100 will be more clearly understood upon viewing FIGS. 2A, 2Band 3.

FIG. 2A is a top view of the frame 102 whereas the front view as shownin FIG. 1 is at a location near the mounting plate 106. The frame 102has a left side 114 and a right side 115. The left side 114 has anadjustment sleeve 118, preferably a steel tube, extending perpendiculartowards the right side 115 as shown in FIG. 2A. The right side 115 ofthe frame 102 has an adjustment bar 120, which preferably is a steeltube, that extends perpendicular from the right side 115 and pointstoward the left side 114. As illustrate in FIG. 2A, the adjustment bar120 fits within the adjustment sleeve 118 allowing the distance betweenthe left side 114 and right side to be varied in order to provide adesired separation distance. When the desired distance between the leftside and right side is obtained by positioning the adjustment sleeve 118and adjustment bar 120, then bolts are tightened to lock the frame atthat desired distance. There is a bucket bracket 122 (shown as dottedlines) on the bottom edge of each side of the frame 102. The bucketbrackets 122 are used to attach the frame to the bucket of the tractor.

A view B-B of the right side 115 of the bracket is shown in FIG. 2B. Theright side 115 preferably is fabricated of steel tubes and other steelshapes as need to meet the strength requirements of the cover removalapparatus 100. FIG. 2B shows a truss structure with the bucket bracket122 on one end. The bucket bracket has two holes 124 that are used tomount the right side of the frame to the bucket of the tractor. The leftside of the frame preferably has the same structure (essentially amirror image) as the right side and includes a bucket bracket formounting to the left side of the frame to the left side of the bucket.The right side 115 of the frame 102 preferably has a mounting plate 106secured to the other end as seen in FIG. 2B. The mounting plate hasholes 126 for attaching the motor 104 to the right side of the frame andhas a larger hole 128 allowing the shaft motor to extend through themounting plate 106. Preferably, a second motor 104 is attached to amounting plate on the left side 114 of the frame.

Hydraulic lines (high pressure hoses with couplings) preferably arerouted inside the steel tube of the frame 102 as shown in FIG. 3. Ahydraulic hose 130 fits through a hole (shown in the upper left-handcorner of the figure) in one end of the left side 114 and then exitsnear the hydraulic motor 104. Hydraulic power from the tractor'shydraulic system is available to power the hydraulic motor coupled tothe system via hose 130 using appropriate connectors. Preferably themotor rotates in either direction at the command of the tractoroperator. A similar hydraulic connection (not shown) is installed forthe hydraulic motor mounted on the right side 115 of the frame 102. Whenboth hydraulic motors are rotating for wrapping a cover about the rollerbar 112, the top of the roller bar is moving towards the tractor and thebottom of the roller bar is moving away from the tractor. This willbecome clear when viewing FIG. 6 and following the steps of the flowchart of FIG. 9.

A second preferred embodiment of the cover removal apparatus 100 isillustrated in FIG. 4. The bracket of FIG. 2 is modified by having aback bracket 132 connected between the left side 114 and the right side115 of bracket 102. The back bracket has hitch connectors 134 with holesfor connecting the frame 102 to the three point hitch of the tractor.The three point hitch is then used to raise or lower the cover removalapparatus 100. In the second preferred embodiment the bucket brackets122 do not serve attach the cover removal apparatus to the tractor. Itwould be understood by those skilled in the art that a frame could beadapted to mount on other vehicles, a trailer and the like.

When either the first embodiment of FIG. 3 or the second embodiment ofFIG. 4 is attached to the tractor and the hydraulic system is coupled tothe motors 104, the cover removal apparatus 100 is available forremoving covers from greens. When the roller bar is in the raisedposition (a few feet or so above the cover that is on the green) one endof the cover is preferably placed on the top of the roller bar 112 andwrapped around the roller bar so it will not slip from the roller barwhen torque is applied for rotating the roller bar. When torque isapplied to the roller bar, preferably turning the top of the roller bartowards the tractor, the cover is wrapped about the roller bar. In orderfor the cover to fit between the left side 114 and right side 115 of theframe 102, workers guide the edges of the cover between the sides.Although an optional technique for guiding the cover comprisesvertically mounted rollers to the frame, the inventors prefer to useworkers to guide the cover since they are needed to start the wrappingprocess. When using the cover removal apparatus 100 of the presentdisclosure, three workers are needed for cover removal. The conventionalremoval technique requires around six workers and in addition requiresmore time to remove a cover. FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 4 witha wrapped cover 136 on the roller bar 112.

To better understand how the cover removal apparatus wraps a cover aboutthe roller bar 112 refer now to FIG. 6. In FIG. 6 only the roller bar112 and the cover are shown. The roller bar 112 is shown as arectangular shape at the center of a partially wrapped cover. Arectangular shape is the preferred shape of the roller bar because thesquare edges of the rectangle grab the cover and do not allow the coverto slip during the first few turns of the roller bar. It would beapparent to someone skilled that other shapes could be used for theroller bar 112 and a non-slip coating or technique could be used reduceslipping on a roller bar having any shape. Other means for securing thecover to the roller bar during startup are consider to be within thescope of the present disclosure. As the roller bar 112, as shown in FIG.6, rotates its top side toward the tractor (not shown) the cover wrapsabout the roller bar. The top side of the roller bar is the side (itchanges every one quarter of a rotation) that is farthest from thesurface of the green. Once the cover is completely wrapped about theroller bar, the wrapped cover may be placed in a storage location. Theroller bar and the wrapped cover are removed from frame when the frameis lowered and the weight of the cover is no longer on the frame. Thisoccurs, for example, when the wrapped cover is resting on a floor or ashelf of a storage area. When the weight of the cover and roller bar isremoved from the frame another roller bar may be placed in the frame forremoving another cover from another green.

FIG. 7A-C and FIG. 8 illustrate the preferred coupling between theroller bar 112 and the connector assembly 110 that is attached to thehydraulic motor 104. The preferred shape of the roller bar isrectangular (including a square shape) and the roller bar 112 preferablyis comprised of a roller bar sleeve 140 and an insertable bar 142. Sucha sleeve and insertable bar arrangement provide for a roller bar thathas a variable length. On the outside ends of the roller bar is a rollerbar connector having a slot 146. Preferably the slot 146 is round asshown and has a radius that is consistent with a lynch pin that securesthe roller bar within the connector assembly 110. A cross section of theroller bar sleeve 140 is shown in FIG. 7B. FIG. 7C shows the crosssection of the insertable bar 142. Both the roller bar sleeve 140 andthe insertable bar 142 are preferably steel tubes.

FIG. 8 illustrates the preferred connector assembly 110 in detail. Akeyed connector 150 is shown at the right side of the connectorassembly. The keyed connector is dimensioned to fit on the shaft of thehydraulic motor. The shaft on the hydraulic motor is threaded andextends through the hole in the keyed connector and is secured to theconnector assembly with a bolt. A receiver cup 152 is attached(typically welded) to the keyed connector and has an opening adapted toreceive the roller bar connector 144. When the roller bar connector isplaced within the bar receiver cup 152 a lynch pin is inserted withinhole 154 and through the notch 146 in the roller bar connector. Theroller bar connector is secured between the bottom of the bar receivercup and the lynch pin. When the lynch pin is removed from the connectorassembly the roller bar is no longer secured to the connector assemblyand may be removed when desired. The preferred method of removing theroller bar, when it has a wrapped cover, comprises lowering the frame102 until the weight of the wrapped cover is not longer on the frame.The lynch pins of both the receiver cups are then removed. Next, theframe is moved further downward thereby allowing the roller bar to beseparated from the connector assembly 110. As a final separation stepthe tractor backs away from the roller bar holding the wrapped cover.When another roller bar is locked in the connector assembly, the coverassembly apparatus is available for removing another cover.

A preferred method for removing a cover is shown in the flow chart 200of FIG. 9. A cover removal apparatus is attached to a tractor that has abucket or three point hitch that is able to move the cover removalapparatus up and down as desired. The tractor is position near one endof the cover. First, step 210, one end of the cover is placed on the topside of the roller bar 112. It is preferable to wrap the one end of thecover about the roller bar so that it will not slip as the roller barrotates. When the cover is in a no-slip condition, torque is applied tothe roller bar via the motors 104. As the motors pull the cover aboutthe roller bar the cover is guided, step 230, to conform with the widthof the roller bar so that the cover will fit between the left side andright side of the frame 102. Once it has been determined that the coveris completely wrapped about the roller bar 112 torque is removed fromthe roller bar, step 240. The cover is now wrapped about the roller barand in a compact condition for movement to a storage location. The coveris then moved to a storage location, step 250.

A preferred method for replacing a cover is illustrated by the flowchart 300 of FIG. 10. First, step 310, a cover is moved from a storagearea to the green that will receiver the cover. In order for the coverremoval apparatus 100 to capture or pickup a wrapped cover, the frame102 must be lowered below the ends of the roller bar containing thewrapped cover. When the opening in the receiver cups 152 are alignedwith the roller bar connector slots, the frame is raised therebyallowing the roller bar to be lifted by the frame. Lynch pins are theninserted to secure the roller bar to the motors 104. The frame ispreferably raised further so the cover may be moved, via the tractor, tothe cover placement location. When the tractor is located for placingthe cover on the green, torque is applied, step 320, in a direction thatmoves the top of the receiver bar away from the tractor. As the rollerbar rotates, the cover end moving downward towards the green is pulledacross the green by workers or a golf cart, step 330. Torque is removedfrom the roller bar, step 340, when the cover is completely unwrapped.Next, step 350, the cover is unfolded and position for protecting thegreen.

It should be further emphasized that the above-described embodiments ofthe present invention, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, aremerely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for aclear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variationsand modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of theinvention without departing substantially from the spirit and principlesof the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended tobe included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the presentinvention and protected by the following claims.

1. An apparatus for removing a cover from a green of a golf coursecomprising: a frame adapted for coupling to a vertical motion apparatus,the frame having mounting brackets for one or more motor; one or moremotors connected to the mounting bracket of the frame, each motor havinga connector assembly; and a roller bar coupled to the connectorassemblies, the roller bar receiving torque from the motor for wrappingthe cover about the roller bar.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein themotor is a hydraulic motor.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein thevertical motion apparatus is the bucket of a maintenance tractor.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the roller bar is removed from theconnector assembly after the cover has been wrapped about the rollerbar.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the to the roller bar iscomprised of a sleeve and an insertable bar.
 6. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the one or more motors are electrical motors.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 6, wherein the connector assemblies secure the rollerbar with lynch pins.
 8. A method for removing a cover from a green for agolf course, the method comprising the steps of: placing the cover on aroller bar; applying torque to the roller bar; wrapping the cover aboutthe roller bar until it forms a wrapped cover; and placing the rollerbar having the wrapped cover at desired location.
 9. The method of claim8, wherein the roller bar receives torque for the wrapping step from ahydraulic motor.
 10. A method for placing a cover on a green for a golfcourse, the method comprising the steps of: placing a roller bar havinga wrapped cover to a location adjacent to the green; unwrapping thecover from about a roller bar; and unfolding and positioning the coveron the green.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein torque by a hydraulicmotor to unwrap the cover.
 12. The method of claim 11 one end of thetarp is pulled away from the green with a wheeled vehicle.
 13. Themethod of claim 10 wherein the roller bar is mounted on a frame.
 14. Themethod of claim 13 wherein the frame is coupled to a maintenancetractor.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the coupling to the tractoris a frame to tractor bucket connection.
 16. A cover removal apparatusfor removing a cover from a green and for placing a cover on a green,the apparatus adapted for utilization with a maintenance tractor wherethe tractor has a means for lower and raising the apparatus and thetractor has a power sources that is coupled to the apparatus, theapparatus comprising; a frame with left side and a right side that isadapted for bolting to the bucket of the tractor and the bucket servicesas the lowering and raising means, the frame further having one or moremounting plates for securing one or more motors; one or more hydraulicmotors mounted to the mounting plates and for receiving hydraulic powerfrom the tractor, the hydraulic motors having connector assembly coupledto the shaft of each of the motors; and a roller bar coupled to theconnector assemblies, the roller bar further being adapted to receiveand wrap a cover.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the roller baris comprised of a sleeve and an insertable bar wherein the insertablebar is removable when the cover is wrapped about the roller bar.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 16 wherein the width of the frame is adjustable. 19.The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the frame is modified to fit on athree point hitch of the maintenance tractor.
 20. The apparatus of claim16 wherein the frame is adapted to connect to a trailer.